


You, The Room & The Devil On Your Shoulder

by LenaHorror



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Draco Malfoy - Freeform, Harry Potter - Freeform, Harry Potter AU, Multi, Original Characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-01-24 06:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18565807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LenaHorror/pseuds/LenaHorror
Summary: Nero Van Buren is the maternal cousin of Draco Malfoy. They both have Malfoy blood but that's where the similarities stop. As the son of a professional Quidditch player, Nero was expected to fall in line and do the same... or at least, become the amazing wizard that his parents anticipated he would be. Bringing pride to the Van Buren and Malfoy names was something Nero was groomed for and conditioned for from birth. Unfortunately for the expectations, Nero had other ideas of what he wanted to do with his life and it was not at all what his families wanted for him. Tension rise when Nero has to face off against his cousin Draco to protect his family.





	1. PROLOGUE

[ **Title** ] You, The Room & The Devil On Your Shoulder  
[ **Author** ] Lena Horror  
[ **Genre** ] Harry Potter (AU)  
[ **Story** **Genre** ] Drama/Angst  
[ **Rating** ] Fiction M (16+) but some later chapters may reach MA (18+) because of content.  
[ **Pairings** ] Draco Malfoy/Alena Snape (Original Character), Angel Raye (Original Character)/Oliver Wood, Most other pairings that are canon (mentions)  
[ **Word Count** ] N/A (Doesn’t matter for this prologue.)

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**PROLOGUE:** **(NECESSARY) AUTHOR NOTES**

**  
**So I knew I would need to do a prologue for this story because of the massive amount of backstory with this particular alternative universe that I’m working with within the Harry Potter realm of creation. Quick sidebar: if you’re a fan of the band As It Is, you’ll notice a lot of their songs/lyrics being used as chapter titles/and the story title as a whole, too!  
  
I’m going to start by I have been a Harry Potter fan for a very, very long time. In that time, I’ve been afforded the luxury of writing with one of the most amazing writers I’ve ever met who shares my passion for the Harry Potter Universe and has helped me create some of the original characters that you’ll be seeing in this story. Yes, there are a few. Specifically one: Alena Snape. Now, Alena – or Lena – is NOT the main character of this fanfiction but she plays a prevalent role in it. Because it’s alt universe, I will be stating when some things are canon but a lot of it will be in this alternative universe. Snape is the daughter of Severus and the long-term love interest of Draco. So in this? Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy did NOT happen, as Draco and Alena have dated since the fourth year.  
  
Let me also say that – yes – Alena will be getting her own story. (I may actually do that alongside of this one?) On my former fanfiction.net account, I had a couple of stories that featured her, which one might get re-written because I’m a lot better of a writer now and have played with her character a lot longer to understand her more. I also have written her a lot more with a friend of mine playing Draco so I understand their relationship dynamic a lot more. (Yes, I go all in with stories and characters that I’m passionate about. It’s pretty wild.) While she plays a pivotal role in this story though, this one isn’t about her.  
  
The original character in this story is called Nero Van Buren. Nero is the cousin of Draco on his mother’s side. Because canonically, Abraxas Malfoy had at least ONE child, in Lucius Malfoy, but in this AU, Lucius had a sister named Annabelle. Nero is her child. She married into a pure-blood family called Van Buren, thus keeping the pure-blood lineage for her child. While Annabelle dropped Malfoy in favor of Van Buren, she is a member of the Malfoy lineage and fits along the stereotype that the Malfoy family are known for. While her husband, Emery Van Buren, comes from a wealthy and respected pure-blood family, unlike some of the Malfoy lineage, the Van Buren family have limited ties to the dark arts/death eaters. Annabelle, however, did but she never returned to that way of life once married. She was “trying to turn over a new leaf”, especially after having a son in Nero.  
  
As you’ll learn in this story, Nero is the opposite of Draco in just about every way that there is to be the opposite of someone. They have a very tense relationship which will be explored. Additionally, a lot of the AU points will be answered and implemented into the flow of the story and I'm hoping to do so as seamlessly. Alright. Enough chatter. Let’s get it.  
  
\- L.H


	2. CH ONE: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF…

[ **Title** ] You, The Room & The Devil On Your Shoulder  
[ **Author** ] Lena Horror  
[ **Genre** ] Harry Potter (AU)  
[ **Story** **Genre** ] Drama/Angst  
[ **Rating** ] Fiction M (16+) but some later chapters may reach MA (18+) because of content.  
[ **Pairings** ] Draco Malfoy/Alena Snape (Original Character), Angel Raye (Original Character)/Oliver Wood, Most other pairings that are canon (mentions)  
[ **Word Count** ] 994.

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_  
`` But carry the whole world… just forget that it hurts… ``_

 

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_

 

**SETTING: Twenty-Six Years Ago. 31 st October. All Hallows Eve.**

  
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“Merlin’s mercy, it’s a boy!”  
  
Miss Cleary, the Van Buren family nurse, declared as a banshee-rivaling shriek filled the stone halls of the Van Buren estate in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.  
  
Annabelle Van Buren lay spent on the bed, Emery Van Buren dabbing a cool cloth on his wife’s brow and face to remove the skin-drenching sweat that had come from her physical efforts in delivery. Her breathing was heavy but she looked up at Emery, appreciative of the kindness in his eyes and the gesture of the cool compress to her skin. Her skin felt like a fire was raging beneath her skin but the moment she heard her precious son’s wailing, tears joined the sweat on her face.  
  
“Listen to those lungs, Emery, my goodness,” Annabelle said, a soft laugh escaping her tired body after hearing her son’s first cries.  
  
“That’s a Van Buren traits shining through, I wager,” Emery responded, a smile on his face as warm as a summer’s sun, a deep-rooted admiration for his wife etched in his features.  
  
“Ten fingers, ten toes. We have a healthy young lad!” Miss Cleary declared proudly, “He’ll be right with you, Miss Annabelle.”  
  
The first few moments of his life, Annabelle had her eyes closed as she tried to ignore the throbbing pain inside of her body. Childbirth was a pain like nothing she had ever experienced and at the age of twenty-one, having a child never was in the plans. Alas, her marriage to Emery, her teenage crush, at the age of nineteen brought forward a lot of changes in her life. The biggest one was her last name no longer being Malfoy but the unexpected pregnancy was another big one. She had planned on having children, but selfishly, she wasn’t sure that she was prepared for it at that stage in her life. Upon finding out that she was with child, Annabelle knew that she had to prepare for anything.  
  
Both Annabelle and Emery had a mutual way of thinking when it came to how they wanted to raise their children, which was a topic of discussion that happened not long after finding out Annabelle was pregnant. They wanted to make sure their children had the best in life they possibly could provide. Annabelle and Emery were a well off couple so financially, a child was not something they had to worry about for financial reasons. Both Annabelle and Emery came from wealthy, respected (for better or worse) families, and Emery was a professional Quidditch player, a beater, who played for The Appleby Arrows with a great reputation and a family lineage of professional Quidditch stars.  
  
Many thoughts went through Annabelle’s mind regarding their newborn son.  
  
What she envisioned for him.  
  
What she hoped for his future.  
  
Where she saw him in five… ten… fifteen years on from that day.  
  
“Here you are, Madam Annabelle, your beautiful boy.” Miss Cleary said, gently placing the swaddled child in the arms of his mother. “What will we be calling him, Madam?”  
  
“Nero,” Annabelle said, her tone soft as she looked at the face of the tiny child in her arms. He looked far more perfect than even she had envisioned. “Nero Armand Van Buren.”  
  
“That is a beautiful name, Madam.”  
  
“He is perfect, therefore he deserves a name fitting of such standard.”  
  
Nero was a name derived from the last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, youngest sole emperor until Elagabalus. Armand was a name handpicked by Annabelle to immortalize Armand Malfoy; the first Malfoy ancestor in Great Britain, arriving from France with the Norman Invasion. He was the founder of Malfoy Manor, a piece of real estate that he acquired from King William I in exchange for his services.  
  
A wizard was only as great as his name and Annabelle learned that from Lord Voldermort’s teachings. Not to say that Annabelle anticipated that her son would be that level of wizard but she could aspire as such for her first born.  
  
Annabelle held Nero to her chest, her hand gently cradling his head. Even if she hadn’t originally wanted to be a parent so young, once she held him, all of her thoughts on that seemed to vanish like fog once the warmth of sunlight engulfed it. Emery watched Annabelle with loving eyes and a love in his heart that felt incredibly overwhelming. He already loved her, he was in love with her, and had been in love with her for what felt like a small age but seeing her holding their first born was truthfully a moment that he could not have prepared himself for.  
  
Emery’s love for Annabelle proved that even if you didn’t share all views with them, you could still love them eternally, and do spectacular things with them.  
  
“What do you think he’ll become, Anna, luv?” Emery inquired, his tone soft yet curious, as he gazed upon the new love of his life with his original. “Do you think he’ll be something grand?”   
  
“Yes,” Annabelle cooed, her fingertips gently caressing her child’s cheek to feel over his skin. “I believe he’ll be a marvel, a great wizard one day.” She looked up at Emery. “Perhaps he’ll play Quidditch one day, like you. Or perhaps he’ll do things that are far greater than both of us could ever dream of.”  
  
“With your love and guidance, I have no doubt he is destined for greatness due to that and that alone,” Emery smiled, his hand gently caressing and holding the side of Annabelle’s face. When her face turned into his hand, he leaned in, kissing her forehead. “I will live for you both and I would die for you both. To ensure that you are both taken care of and to make sure you are both safe. Nothing will ever surpass either of you. Nothing ever could.”


	3. CH TWO: STILL FRAME MINDS

[ **Title** ] You, The Room & The Devil On Your Shoulder  
[ **Author** ] Lena Horror  
[ **Genre** ] Harry Potter (AU)  
[ **Story** **Genre** ] Drama/Angst  
[ **Rating** ] Fiction M (16+) but some later chapters may reach MA (18+) because of content.  
[ **Pairings** ] Draco Malfoy/Alena Snape (Original Character), Angel Raye (Original Character)/Oliver Wood, Most other pairings that are canon (mentions)  
[ **Word Count** ] 3.4K

 

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**CHAPTER TWO: STILL FRAME MINDS...**   
 

_`` ‘Cause old thoughts hate modern words… it’s not just the truth that hurts… ``_   
  


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**SETTING: Fifteen Years Ago. 31 st October. All Hallows Eve.**

  
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_

Finally.  
  
_Eleven._  
  
Having been born on 31st October, Nero wouldn’t be allowed to go to school the same as most other children his age. Most children in their world who turned eleven before 1st September were permitted to attend their First Year of wizarding school then. Unfortunately, Nero had to wait until the following term to begin as his birthday fell at the end of October. It was news that made the bright-eyed blonde a bit upset but in the same vein, he had the opportunity to learn more from his father and the team that had been assigned to teach him what he needed to know prior to attending wizarding school.  
  
Annabelle and Emery, his parents, had quite lengthy discussions and debates, albeit never hostile, about what school was right for their son.  
  
Annabelle insisted Durmstrang Institute would have been ideal for Nero. Being one of the three largest institutes for teaching magic in Europe, there was no doubt in her mind that he would receive an ideal education. There were a few added incentives to Durmstrang Institute in Annabelle’s opinion, ranging from the location of the school but also a few other traits about the school enticed her. She would never admit it out loud, at least not in mixed company, but the no-muggle-admittance rule was incredibly attractive to her. It wasn’t as if she cared, per se, if her child associated with muggle-borns but she didn’t exactly want him to go out of his way to do so. She believed that he should have held his company in the highest of esteem and muggle-born witches and wizards did not appeal to her.  
  
Perhaps a Malfoy trait but product of raising was hard to shake off.  
  
Emery, on the other hand, believed Hogwarts School would be a fantastic opportunity for Nero. Both Annabelle and Emery were students at Hogwarts in their youth, and while Durmstrang Institute had quite the reputation, as did Hogwarts. Hogwarts, for Emery, was a better deal given that it was much closer for him to come home for holidays and, well… he enjoyed Hogwarts for what it was when he attended. 

  
“He’ll, absolutely, be in Slytherin,” Emery told Annabelle. “There’s no way he would be anything but. Not with Van Buren blood. Not with Malfoy blood. He is destined for greatness and all of the greatest wizards of the age were Slytherin. Look at you, for example.”  
  
Smooth talking Annabelle was always one of Emery’s strengths...  
  
It was settled, by Nero’s eleventh birthday, that he would be attending Hogwarts rather than Durmstrang Institute. He had eleven months to prepare for it, too.  
  
Nero had been learning from a very young age, walking age really, how to fly and was learning core requirements like reading and writing. Annabelle and Emery had hired the very best private tutors they could find to ensure that their child was ahead of the curve when he arrived at whatever school he was destined to end up at. The young Van Buren, the only child Annabelle and Emery had, excelled in everything that was put in front of him.  
  
Not only was he incredibly book savvy but he learned things quite quickly.  
  
Flying came very naturally to him, which was unsurprising to Annabelle, given his genetics. Not only was he a Malfoy but the Van Buren name was a name that was quite synanamous with excellent flying skills. After all, Emery played Quidditch professionally. He wasn’t the only member of the Van Buren family to do so, either, in their history. Annabelle knew that her son had incredible potential but he surprised her more and more every single day.

That year, Annabelle and Emery planned a particularly large soiree for their son’s eleventh birthday. Their families were coming, which was bound to be very exciting. Having both Malfoy and Van Buren under the same roof was, no doubt, going to be a wonderful experience. It would also give Nero an opportunity to bond with his paternal cousin, Draco.  
  
Like Annabelle, her brother Lucius only had one child. Annabelle had spent time with her brother, his wife Narcissa, and their son and she was particularly fond of her eight-year-old nephew. He was a sassy little thing with white-blonde hair and gray eyes, a very handsome young lad, and also very intelligent for his age. Not that Annabelle had any doubts he would be. Perhaps it was cocky of her to say but with Malfoy blood running through his veins, there was no way he’d be anything less.  
  
The family began arriving early in the day on 31st October to celebrate young Nero’s eleventh birthday. The estate was decorated and prepared for a large group of guests and Annabelle believed everything would go swimmingly that day. How could it not? Family affairs were so underrated and, yes, she may have been using her son’s eleventh birthday as a way to ensure that their families would converge. Emery was able to be there as well, which was a bit rare with his occupation. He wasn’t absent in his child’s upbringing but sometimes, it was hard to get away when the demand of a professional team was so high. 

  
Nero understood. In fact, Nero was elated to watch his father play Quidditch.  
  
“I want to play someday, too,” Nero told Emery, “I want to be like you,”  
  
“And you can, too,” Emery assured him. “Nothing would ever stop you, least of all me. You’d make a remarkable beater! It’s in your blood, boy!”  
  
Annabelle welcomed guests upon their arrival as Nero sat in the den. He was working on one of his core papers, a reading comprehension piece assigned to him by one of his tutors, Miss Marietta.  
  
Miss Marietta was an incredibly strict tutor. She was insistent on making sure Nero was proficient in reading and writing and she didn’t let him slack off under any circumstances. She was being paid, handsomely, by the Van Buren family to ensure that Nero was as well prepared, OVERLY prepared, _obsessively_ prepared… to outscore, outrank and outlast his classmates regardless of the institution he was sent to, to learn magic properly. Miss Marietta did just that. Even for as hard as she was, Nero enjoyed her, and he found her passion for his learning to be very complimentary. Even at eleven years old he recognized the efforts she put in to teaching him and he was very appreciative of it. He would often pick her a flower from the gardens in the back of their home, usually a pink or yellow flower as those were her favorite colors, just to say thank you to her in a way other than a verbally spoken gratitude.  
  
She smiled once, maybe twice… but it still happened. That was enough for Nero.  
  
One thing that was uncharacteristic was how effortlessly kind Nero was.  
  
A lot of people assumed that because the boy had Malfoy blood that he would be stuck up and arrogant. That was the farthest thing from the truth. He thought of others. He was kind to them. He was gracious, well-behaved and accepting of people no matter what. His personality was very vibrant from a young age and as he grew older, the more his personality grew with him, and Annabelle felt a warmth inside of her heart over that sweet blonde boy with the brightest blue eyes that she had ever seen.  
  
Annabelle was incredibly smitten with her precious child and it showed in everything she did for him and with him.  
  
Who could blame her, though? Nero was growing up to be quite a brilliant and handsome young man. She radiated with pride whenever she spoke of her sweet boy and she couldn’t wait for the wizarding world to get a vision of him for themselves. Once he was old enough, Annabelle knew, he was going to be a heart breaker and a moves maker. Her aspirations for her only child were set incredibly high because Nero showed her, every single day, that he was worthy of that high praise and high expectation. She never would give him praise he didn’t earn and, well… Nero earned it.  
  
A tall man with white-blonde hair, dressed in all black attire, was greeted at the front door of the Van Buren Estate, a serpent cane in hand. He allowed the house elf at the door greeting guests to take his coat, giving a look around the foyer with deep gray eyes that seemed perpetually narrowed. With him, a smaller boy with the same aesthetic stood beside him, looking a bit more on the reserved side. On the boy’s shoulder was the hand of a woman, wearing a black dress with a long green and black overcoat, her blonde hair a stark contrast to her attire with her sapphire stare looking down at the child.  
  
“Draco, darling, why don’t you run along and socialize with the other children?” The woman said, causing Draco to look up at her.  
  
“Why do I have to be here? I would rather be at home.”  
  
“It’s your cousin’s birthday. Try to behave and enjoy yourself, would you please?”  
  
“Mind your attitude, Draco. Do as your mother asks of you.” The man’s tone was even yet sounded a bit harsh, causing the young boy to look down.  
  
“Sorry, father.” He said quietly before looking up at his mother. “I apologize, mother.”  
  
“Thank you, Draco. Have fun. You may enjoy yourself, you know.”  
  
Draco dropped his jacket on the arm of the house elf before venturing off through the Van Buren Estate to do as he was told. Socializing was not something Draco liked being forced to do, especially not when it was expected due to family ties, but he would do as he was told by his parents. The woman slowly was removing her black gloves as she looked over at her husband, a look on her face that seemed to show a minor disapproval for their son’s manners, and he looked back at her, looking as if he were about to speak.  
  
“Lucius! Narcissa! It’s wonderful you could make it, welcome.”  
  
“We’re happy we could make it, Anna.” The man, called Lucius, spoke in a bit warmer of a tone, embracing Annabelle with a kiss to the forehead and a gentle hug. “Where is the birthday boy hiding, hm?”  
  
“He’s in the gardens, as seemingly usual,” Annabelle spoke fondly of her son, leaning over to embrace Narcissa with a kiss to either cheek of her sister-in-law. “Is Draco with you?”  
  
“We’ve sent him off to socialize,” Narcissa said, smiling quietly. “We’re working on getting him a bit more socially able before we send him off to any institution of study with other students. He’s a bit standoffish, you see.”  
  
“Nero is the exact opposite of that, fancy that.” Annabelle responded, “Come, join me for tea and we’ll catch up a bit. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen you both and there’s always so much to chat about.”  
  
Annabelle led Lucius and Narcissa into the sitting room to join her for a cup and a chat, knowing Emery and his parents, Elizabeth and Leonard Van Buren, were already in the room.  
  
Temperature wise, it was a bit cooler in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. That didn’t stop children from playing outside, especially when the birthday boy himself was outside in the gardens. Nero was playing with a couple of his older cousins, a pick-up game of Quidditch, where they were flying around the garden and tossing the quaffle back and forth. Nero had become quite good on a broom and he practiced every chance he got to fly. His father made sure that he had the best possible broomstick on the market to ensure that he was going to be flying as safely as he possibly could with the best possible equipment made available to him. Nero dipped down to fly toward the ground, coming up in a swoop to pick up the quaffle that was thrown short by his elder cousin, Dottie.   
  
“Nice catch, Nero!” Dottie shouted to him, causing Nero to beam a proud smile at her.  
  
“I’ll be a Quidditch star yet, Dot!”  
  
“There’s no way you wouldn’t be, ya know! Toss it up!”  
  
Nero flew back up and did a loop around the massive Big Bellied Oak that stood tall in the back gardens. Once he looped the tree, he flipped the quaffle up and shot it off toward his cousin, who one-handed the quaffle but almost fell off of her broom with a laugh.  
  
“Bloody hell, quite an arm on ya, Ne!”  
  
She got the quaffle and tossed it to their cousin, Liam. The way the three of them got on was very friendly and Nero was happy to have them around that day. They didn’t see each other as often as they, perhaps, would have enjoyed but their parents all lived very busy lives. Any opportunity they had to spend time together, though, Nero enjoyed himself.  
  
Both Liam and Dottie, siblings themselves, were children of his paternal aunt, Ella Van Buren. Ella was a widow with two teenage children as her husband, a man called Jack, passed away in a freak accident a good three years previous. He was nice, from what Nero recalled of him, but Liam and Dottie were doing fine with just Ella. Though, it seemed as if Ella had taken fancy to a twenty-something-year-old lad at the Ministry called Evan. How scandalous. Though, like a Van Buren, Ella was quite the looker so it was no real surprise she would attract a younger man into her charms.   
  
As they were in the gardens playing with the quaffle, the blonde cousin called Draco emerged outdoors. He had retrieved his coat and pulled it back on to venture outside when he had been told by one of the house elves where his cousin was. Part of Draco was incredibly reluctant to even talk to Nero as Nero’s personality was a bit too… _much…_ for him. He was always so loud and excitable. He was almost like a dog who had too much energy and never stopped yipping.  
  
Perhaps Draco was a cynical type but Nero was too much for him to deal with.  
  
On the contrary, Nero tried quite hard to make Draco feel included in things when the Malfoys visited the Van Buren Estate. Nero felt it was his place, as the young master of the Estate, to welcome guests and make them feel at home and welcome. It was how his father raised him, as it were. It wasn’t until the quaffle got away from Liam and almost swiped Draco that Nero noticed his younger cousin had made his way out to the gardens.  
  
“Sorry!”  
  
“Alright there, mate!?” Nero called out, checking to make sure that Draco wasn’t startled or hit, which Draco waved off and dismissed.  
  
Draco picked up the quaffle from the ground and held it in his hands, looking up at the witch and wizards trio that had flown over to where he was. He held the quaffle between his hands, his attention turning to look between them. His eyes lastly fell on Nero.  
  
“Is this how you’re celebrating your birthday?” Draco inquired, “This seems a little boring, doesn’t it?”  
  
“Not really, no,” Nero responded indifferently. “I’m enjoying myself. They’re enjoying themselves. We’re having fun. It’s not really that complicated, I don’t think.”  
  
Draco scoffed.  
  
“You could be doing anything you wish as it’s supposedly _your_ day and you’re doing things you could do any time. That seems so boring to me.”  
  
“Well, fortunately for you, you can do whatever you like. Fancy that.” Nero forced, perhaps, the most sarcastic smile he could muster. That elicited a giggle out of Liam and Dottie as they kept position on their brooms next to Nero. “I would ask if you wanted to join us but-”  
  
“I don’t,” Draco snapped, almost too quickly.  
  
“As I was saying – BUT – you probably wouldn’t be interested,” Nero continued, blissfully ignoring that Draco cut him off. “Can I ask why you even bother? Every time you come here, no matter how much I try to be nice to you and include you in things, you want nothing to do with it. You whine and carry on about how you’re not included but you willingly exclude yourself. Do you think it’s cool to blow people off before they can even try to be nice to you?”  
  
“I don’t need you to be nice to me, Van Buren,” Draco responded, his tone becoming a more uninterested drawl. “I’m only here because my mother and father insisted as it’s _your_ birthday.”  
  
“Lucky me,” Nero rolled his eyes at Draco’s attitude shift. “Look. If you’d rather, toss the quaffle and be done with it. I’d love to have you around and I’d be happy to have you join us but you’ve already made up your bloody mind to be a jerk. It’s a new record, isn’t it? You usually take at least half and hour’s time to transition into your usual bratty self.”  
  
Draco, in an annoyed huff, threw the quaffle at Nero. It wasn’t the type of toss that Nero had asked of him, it was much more aggressive. That didn’t stop Nero from catching the ball, not budging from where he was hovering with his broom. Draco flipped the tails of his jacket to walk off toward the house, his facial expression contorted into an irritated glare. Nero rolled his eyes again, his head turning to look toward Dottie momentarily.  
  
“He’s a bit of a pretentious little shit, isn’t he?”  
  
“Well he _is_ a Malfoy,” Liam said, a cheeky smirk on his face. Nero glanced over at him after he said it, noticing his smirk. “You’re only half.”  
  
“ _He’s_ only half,” Nero reminded Liam.  
  
“He carries the name, though. You do not, dear cousin.”  
  
“Small miracles, ay?” Nero said, laughing quietly as he rolled with his broom to fly downward, before flying back up in a loop, “C’mon then, Quidditch doesn’t play itself!”  
  
Nero threw the quaffle to Dottie and the game was back on.  
  
Draco made it back to the house, watching his cousin and the Van Burens playing in the garden, which left quite the sour taste in the little brat prince’s mouth. He knew that going to find Nero was going to result in him being irritated. He was only eight but something about Nero just bothered him to his core and he couldn’t figure out why. He had never been so irritable with someone’s presence before, in his life to date, but for some reason just being around Nero made him so … annoyed. Perhaps it was unfair of Draco to judge his cousin as harshly as he did but that ‘merry sunshine’ disposition he had drove Draco bonkers. How was he able to not _choke_ on all of that… positivity?  
  
On the flip side, Nero held no disdain or ill feelings toward Draco. Not really. For one, Draco was three years younger than he was so Nero felt like it was beneath him to hate a child. He was a child too, for all intents and purposes, but Draco was _more_ of a child given the slight age gap. One thing he didn’t appreciate, though, was any time Draco was around, no matter how hard Nero tried to include him or make him feel like he was welcome, it backfired. It wasn’t in Nero’s way of thinking or his personality to just exclude someone, even if they were a jerk, so he continuously tried but… sometimes trying just didn’t feel like it was all that worth it given that Draco was almost unbearable the majority of the time.  
  
He never understood how they could have shared blood but been polar opposite of each other. Even at his age, Nero knew that there was something quite peculiar about his cousin Draco that actually rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe he’d grow out of it and they’d be able to get closer as they got older but if Nero’s gut feeling was accurate, he had his doubts.  
  
Nevertheless, Nero would be damned before Draco Malfoy ruined his birthday or his birthday party. Let him be bitter and petty all he wanted. It was Nero’s day. Draco could stuff it for the day and pretend he wasn’t a snobby git whether he liked it or not.  
  
Nero never was THAT person but… for Draco, he’d absolutely make the exception!


	4. CH THREE: I WANT TO JUST FEEL FINE...

**[ Title** ] You, The Room & The Devil On Your Shoulder  
[ **Author** ] Lena Horror  
[ **Genre** ] Harry Potter (AU)  
[ **Story Genre** ] Drama/Angst  
[ **Rating** ] Fiction M (16+) but some later chapters may reach MA (18+) because of content.  
[ **Pairings** ] Draco Malfoy/Alena Snape (Original Character), Angel Raye (Original Character)/Oliver Wood, Most other pairings that are canon (mentions)  
[ **Word Count** ] 3K

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**CHAPTER THREE: I WANT TO JUST FEEL FINE...**

_`` I don’t have anything worth dying for but at least I’ll live longer… ``_  
  


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**SETTING: Fourteen Years Ago. 1 st September. **  
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Nero was never the particularly impatient type but there was a certain inability to maintain his usual composure in the days leading up to 1st September.  
  


The letter from Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry arrived, his parents took him to Diagon Alley to obtain his required supplies for the school year, and then, it was just a matter of time. He had been wanting that day to arrive for almost a year. Since his eleventh birthday, Nero knew what awaited him and to be frank, he was eager to get out of his home and out into the world, so to speak. The idea of going to school, meeting new people, seeing his cousins every single day, and experiencing Hogwarts for himself rather than through the stories people had told him, had him overwhelmed and positively giddy for the experience.  
  


With Dottie and Liam both being in Slytherin House, he had high hopes he’d join them. Dottie was a third year and Liam was a sixth year so at least he had two people available in school to show him around and keep him company. He also wanted to join Slytherin House because both of his parents had been Slytherin, too. Not to mention, the Malfoy side had been in Slytherin for centuries at that point in time. He didn’t want to be the first of his line not to be there.  
  
  
Goodness, what if the sorting hat put him in _Hufflepuff_? That would be devastating…  
  
Or worse… _Gryffindor_. Imagine that.  
  
Getting to King’s Cross Station early was key. London always intrigued Nero but he wasn’t even phased upon being there at that time. He wanted to get to Platform 9 and ¾, get through and board Hogwarts Express toward the next chapter of the adventure he called “life”. Perhaps most children would have apprehension about leaving home and being away from their parents and what was familiar but not Nero. He wanted to explore the world and it started by going to school. It was one step closer to having the opportunity to do so. Nero knew that, for his age, he was far too future focused than most, but he was very much focusing on the next few chapters of his life to come swiftly.  
  
Nero was standing on the platform for the Hogwarts Express after going through Platform 9 ¾ with his parents. Both Annabelle and Emery seemed to have that “proud parent” glow about them as they stood with their only child preparing to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Annabelle had a handkerchief at-the-ready, knowing that she was going to be a bit emotional over Nero, but so far… no tears had come. Thankfully. Emery had his hands on Nero’s shoulders, crouched down in front of his young son, a smile on his face.  
  
“Everything is tidy and ready, then?”  
  
“It is, father.” Nero said, smiling proudly, “I have everything sorted out and I’m ready to go. I’m excited and ready to learn, but more than that, I’m excited to see what’s next.”

  
“You know we’re already very proud of you, yes?”  
  
“I know. Thank you. I hope to make you both so much prouder, too.”  
  
Nero saying that got a sniffle out of Annabelle.  
  
Knowing that her only child, her baby boy, was so focused on bringing pride to his family made her feel so many things. It was something that she could relate to, too, because she had those similar aspirations when she was a young child. She wanted to make her father, Abraxas, proud of her and she had managed to do so by scoring exceptionally in school and going down the path that she did once she was out of school.  
  
Emery, too, had similar aspirations as a young man leaving Hogwarts. All he wanted to do was make his family proud and he had achieved that by signing to a contract with The Appleby Arrows. He was a Prefect, Head Boy, a star Quidditch player, a former Slytherin Captain… and all of the aspirations that he had came full circle by the end of his time at Hogwarts. Upon inking his contract with the team, he knew he had made his family proud, and now the name Van Buren was celebrated further in Quidditch being a generational star. In a big way, Emery hoped that his son would follow in his footsteps as he had – kind of – followed in his own father’s footsteps. Though, Emery knew, every father aspired for their child to follow in their tracks. In a lot of ways, Emery was hoping that Nero surpassed him and blazed his own path.  
  
“Right,” Emery stood up from his crouching position, his hands resting firmly on Nero’s shoulders. “Do you want us to help you find a seat or do you want to go with Liam and Dottie?”  
  
“I’ll go with them,” Nero said with a warm smile. “I appreciate your willingness and desire to do so, but I’ll be okay.”  
  
Annabelle moved over, leaning down to kiss the top of her child’s blonde head. Nero beamed a smile up at his mother from her sweet gesture. It wasn’t as if loving gestures were few and far between, because they weren’t, but there was something special about that gesture then and there given that he was leaving home. Emery gave Nero a hug and a pat on the shoulder after giving his son a kiss to the temple. Nero grabbed his bag to carry onto the train, looking back at his parents as he stood on the bottom stair of the small platform to get onto the train.  
  
“I’ll write you,” Nero said, his smile still intact. “Take care of mum while I’m away, dad. One of us has to, you know.”  
  
That cheeky statement got a laugh from Emery and a warm smile from Annabelle. As soon as Nero made the steps onto the train, however, that was it. Annabelle found herself in tears because the whole thing felt so much more real. Her little boy was growing too fast. Emery held onto her for a few moments before they were off back to London to do a bit of shopping. They were there anyway, so they might as well have enjoyed it.  
  
On the train, Nero had found the car in which Dottie and Liam were sharing with another student. They saved him a spot, knowing that he would want to ride with them, and having the opportunity to share that “first-day” experience with their cousin would be nice. Not to mention, they actually got to see each other more now with Nero finally coming to Hogwarts. Dottie was thrilled that Emery advocated for Nero to go to Hogwarts, especially, because she wanted her younger cousin around. Liam understood Annabelle’s desire to send Nero to Durmstrang but it was so far from home… not to mention they’d actually see him less than they already did so that would just never do.  
  
Nero sat down in the empty seat that was available for him, placing his bag next to him. He was sitting next to a student he didn’t know as Liam and Dottie were sitting next to each other. Dottie had the window seat, of course, as she loved watching the scenery any time they traveled and Liam was more indifferent than she was. Not to mention, he was preoccupied with chatting with the other student more than focusing on the outside of the car.  
  
The young wizard that sat next to Nero glanced over in his direction, momentarily distracted from the conversation that he had been engaging with Liam. Noticing that he had been staring, in fact, he looked back to Liam. Liam chuckled softly.   
  
“Alright there, Flint?”   
  
“He just looks familiar is all,” The young man, called Flint, stated.  
  
“Well he’s my cousin, for one,” Liam started, sounding amused. “Nero’s his name. Nero Van Buren. Nero, this is Marcus Flint. He’s a third year at our school. Slytherin House. He plays for the Quidditch team. Chaser, as it is.”   
  
“Is this the cousin you were telling me about?”   
  
“Indeed. Bound to be one of, if not the best, player that Slytherin’s seen in an age,” Liam explained to Flint. “Ya know, I’d dare say he’s possibly even better than I am. Perhaps it’s his dad’s blood in him but he’s going to be destined for great bloody things. Mark my words.”   
  
“So you’re going to try out for the team when you’re able, yeah?” Flint asked Nero, which made Nero nod his head in an affirmation. “Brilliant. Slytherin won’t stand a chance at losing, then. It’ll do the team some good, I wager.”   
  
“That’s the goal,” Liam added. “He’ll, no doubt, be playing by next year. I have very high hopes for him. He’s brilliant as a beater and everyone knows Slytherin could use as much talent as we possibly can manage.”   
  
The trip to Hogwarts saw conversation revolving around professional Quidditch, Hogwarts, Slytherin House, among other topics that came to mind. With the trip to Hogwarts being a bit lengthy, many topics were able to be covered. What was especially nice for Nero was feeling as if he was included, quite well, with the new lad, Flint. Perhaps it was because he was an avid fan of Quidditch and Nero’s father was a professional player or the fact that they made the point to say that there was no way he would be in any other house but Slytherin, but the welcome was nice. It felt good not to be alone. He knew he would have Dottie and Liam but the addition of Flint was… actually quite nice. Even if he was a bit… odd looking, that one… the conversation was pleasant.   
  
At the platform, Nero was separated from the group he had been with on the train. The two third years and a sixth year went one way and Nero went with the other first years to be brought in for sorting.   
  
The castle was extraordinary. Nero took everything in as he walked with the group of fellow first years to wait for the sorting ceremony. He was impressed by the castle itself but just being there was a big deal to him, too. He finally made it to Hogwarts. He finally made it to wizarding school. That was the most exciting part for him. Everything else was the icing on the cupcake, in a manner of speaking. He was pretty distracted by the castle itself so when the doors opened for The Great Hall, he didn’t even feel nerves seeing how many students were lined at the tables.   
  
  
He looked over at the table where students in black and green robes were, seeing Dottie almost immediately. She was hard to miss. She also was the only Slytherin student who seemed to be paying attention to the first years being lead into The Great Hall. She was waving at him and Nero smiled back to her, waving a bit in the neutral Hogwarts robes he was wearing. He couldn’t wait to get into Slytherin robes, if the sorting hat saw it fitting to place him there. Good grief, was he hoping and praying the sorting hat knew where to put him… he belonged in Slytherin.   
  
Given his name, Van Buren, he had quite a wait.   
  
Nero watched anxiously as each student was sorted into their respective houses. A blonde girl to Gryffindor, a brunette boy to Slytherin, a quiet girl with black hair sorted to Hufflepuff, a brunette girl to Gryffindor… the names started to blur together as his attention shifted to look up at the ceiling. Noticing how the ceiling looked like the night sky with hundreds of candles floating in it, it was easily distracting and Nero was enchanted by how it looked as if The Great Hall truly had no roof. How exquisite. He was looking at the ceiling for a bit too long when Professor Minerva McGonagall spoke to shake him from his mental haze.   
  
“Nero Van Buren,”  
  
Nero’s attention shifted and he walked the few steps up to the stool in which each student had sat on for their sorting. He sat down carefully, hearing the slight creak in the wooden stool as he sat there, simply from the wood being so old. He had watched as the sorting hat took ages with some of the students being sorted but as soon as he could smell the aging leather of the hat, with it being close enough, a bellow came from the hat.   
  
“SLYTHERIN.”  
  
There was no hesitation from the hat. Nero was a Slytherin. Thankfully. Anything else wouldn’t have been acceptable.  
  
He stepped off of the stool, feeling a wash of relief overwhelm him. He truly shouldn’t have been concerned, especially not with how swiftly the hat made its decision, but he made his way over to the end of the Slytherin table. Students at the table quickly welcomed him, shaking his hand and making him feel right at home. He looked up to notice Dottie smiling at him, mouthing, “told you”, to her younger cousin. He caught Liam’s eye down the table, as he sat with the sixth years, a nod coming from his older cousin as well.   
  
He was a Van Buren. He was a Malfoy. There was no other house that would do.   
  
The first night in the castle was a lot of getting used to how it worked. Going to the Slytherin Common Room after the welcoming feast was a big moment for him. He had heard that the common room was incredible at face value but until he stepped foot into it himself, he didn’t realize how magnificent it was. The first night in the castle also gave him an opportunity to enjoy the time with his cousins, who were more than happy to spend time with him in the common room itself before bedtime. It felt like a great get away and it almost felt more like a summer vacation with his cousins than school. Sure, that would change once expectations were presented and the first classes were had, he was sure, but in the meantime, there was an excitement that boiled inside of him just being there.   
  
Spending time meeting other students in Slytherin in the common room that first night was good, too. He had a brief exchange with Marcus Flint, of course, who introduced Nero to other members of the Slytherin Quidditch Team. The way Flint saw it, if Nero was going to be a member of the team in the ‘near future’, he had to know the team. For Nero, feeling that acceptance so quickly was both unnerving and very appreciated.  
  
Before going to the dormitory to sleep, to prepare for the day ahead the following day, Dottie pulled Nero aside temporarily. He looked up at her and after she gave him a hug and a kiss to the top of his head, she smiled at him.   
  
“Do you feel better, then? No more anxiousness?”  
  
“No more anxiousness,” Nero repeated with a smile. “As soon as that hat said Slytherin, I felt all of my worries drift away. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I wanted to be here with you and Liam. Besides, my mum and dad would have been gutted otherwise.”  
  
“What about you, though? Nevermind them. Are you happy with it?”  
  
“Very much so.” Nero assured her. “Slytherin is the only place I feel like I actually belong and everyone is very kind from what I’ve seen. I like that. I think I’m going to love it here within this house. No matter how bad it gets, which I’m sure – since it’s school – it will, I’m happy with this outcome at the very least. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store.”   
  
“Right then,” Dottie smiled, “Off to bed with you. I’ll see you in the morning. We can go to breakfast together if you’d like. You know, if you haven’t already abandoned me for the boys.”  
  
“No way,” Nero said with a laugh. “You’re still my favorite. Goodnight, Dot.”  
  
When he scampered off to bed, Dottie watched him with a smile. She felt such a ‘big sister’ type of pride watching Nero grow up into the young man he was becoming more and more every single day. To think, within two month’s time, he’d be twelve. Time had certainly gone by far too fast. Even without an outrageous age gap, she still felt overwhelming pride for her young cousin and the young man he was swiftly becoming. Before too long he’d be dating and excelling and doing great things. She could only hope that she had the opportunity to watch him closely as he grew and continued to evolve.   
  
In the dormitory, Nero found it rather easy to get comfortable. His trunk and items had already been brought up so getting into his pajamas and into bed, he immediately was at peace. Normally, he struggled to find comfort in being away from home. He thought that he would struggle to sleep that first night away from home and would have to warm up to the idea of sleeping at Hogwarts. He thought he would have to bully himself into believing he was at home just to get some rest. That wasn’t the case, however. To Nero, Hogwarts already felt like home, and as soon as he rested his head against his pillows and found his comfortable placement, he was out like a candle near an open window. At least he’d get a good night’s sleep before the start of term and he would be well-rested to learn what he needed to learn. He had a feeling his time at Hogwarts was going to be brilliant.


End file.
